Shop all plants for dry sandy soil
Sandy soils dry out easily, allowing rainwater to filter through quickly with limited water and nutrient retention. This makes them ideal for Mediterranean and drought tolerant plants, which thrive in these types of conditions. Whilst lavender is perhaps the obvious choice for sandy soils, other plants such as euphorbia, buddleia, sedum, choisya, geranium and bearded iris will thrive in these conditions too. Sandy soils also benefit from being easy to work and warm up quickly in spring, helping your plants come out of the winter dormancy period and burst into growth. The best natural way to improve sandy soils is to dig in plenty (1-2 buckets per square metre) of well rotted organic matter such as garden compost or manure. It is best to dig sandy soils in late winter or early spring and incorporate a slow release fertiliser such as Osmocote when planting. Mulch with a 5cm (2 inch) layer or bark to suppress weeds and aid water retention. Water thoroughly and regularly through periods of dry weather, especially whilst your plants become established. Our article on understanding your soil may be useful to get a better grasp on the composition of your soil.